SCENE changes to the Palace. Enter Trumpets founding; then two Aldermen, Lord Mayor, Garter, Cranmer, Duke of Norfolk with his Marshal's faff, Duke of Suffolk, two Noblemen bearing great ftanding bowls for the chriftning gifts; then four Noblemen bearing a canopy, under which the Dutchess of Norfolk, god mother, bearing the child richly habited in a mantle, &c. Train born by a lady: then follows the Marchionefs of Dorfet, the other god-mother, and ladies. The troop pass once about the ftage, and Garter speaks. Gart. Heav'n, from thy endless goodness fend long life, And ever happy, to the high and mighty Princefs of England, fair Elizabeth ! Flourish. Enter King and Guard. Cran. And to your royal Grace, and the good Queen, My noble partners and myself thus pray; All comfort, joy, in this moft gracious lady, That heav'n e'er laid up to make parents happy, King. Thank you, good lord Arch-bishop: Cran. Elizabeth. King. Stand up, lord. With this kifs take my bleffing: God protect thee, Cran. Amen. King. My noble goffips, y'have been too prodigal, Cran. Let me fpeak, Sir; (For Heav'n now bids me) and the words I utter, (But (But few or none living can behold that goodness) Shall ftill be doubled on her. Truth fhall nurfe her: Holy and heav'nly thoughts ftill counfel her: She fhall be lov'd and fear'd. Her own fhall bless her; Her foes shake, like a field of beaten corn, And hang their heads with forrow, Good grows with her. Under his own vine, what he plants; and fing As great in admiration as herself; So fhall fhe leave her bleffedness to one, (When heav'n fhall call her from this cloud of darkness) Who from the facred afhes of her honour Shall ftar like rise, as great in fame as she was, And fo ftand fix'd. Peace, Plenty, Love, Truth, Terrour, Shall be, and make new nations. He fhall flourish, King. Thou speakest wonders. Cran. She fhall be, to the happiness of England, 'Would, 'Would, I had known no more! but fhe muft die, (19) To th' ground, and all the world shall mourn her, Thou'ft made me now a man; never, before That when I am in heav'n, I shall defire To fee what this child does, and praife my maker. (19) Would I had known no more: but She muft die, [Exeunt. She muft, the Saints must bave her ; yet a Virgin, A most unfpotted Lilly, &c.] Thus the Editors hitherto, in their Sagacity, have pointed this Passage, and destroy'd the true Senfe of it. The first part of this Sentence is a Wish : The other should be a forrowful Continuation of the Bishop's Prophecy. But, fure, Cranmer was too wife and pious a Man, too well acquainted with the State of Mortality, to make it a part of his Lamentation that this good Princess must one time or other go to Heaven. As I point it, the Poet makes a fine Compliment to his Royal Mistress's Memory, to lament that the muft die without leaving an Heir of her Body behind her. (20) And you good Brethren,] But, the Aldermen never were call'd Brethren to the King. The Top of the Nobility are but Coufins and Counsellors. Dr. Thirlby, therefore, rightly advised ; And your good Brethren i. e. the Lord Mayor's Brethren; which is properly their Style. ཤཱ་རས་བ E PILOGUE. IS ten to one, T this Plag can never pleafe All that are here: Some come to take their cafe, And fleep an act or two; but those, we fear, We've frighted with our trumpets; fo'tis clear, "They'll fay, it's naught. Others, to hear the city Abus'd extremely, and to cry, That's witty! Which we have not done neither: that, I fear, All the expected Good w'are like to hear For this Play at this time, is only in The merciful conftruction of good wom'n; (For fuch a one we fhew'd 'em) If they smile, And fay, 'twill do; I know within a while All the beft men are ours; for 'tis ill hap, If they hold, when their ladies bid'em clap. The End of the Fifth Volume. |